Change day by day

A new experience today.

Time for Bob’s pedicure.
Lately he has the hardest nails, they are so difficult to cut.
I saw he started a grown in toe nail so I worked on it for
a good hour, soaking, then adding oil to soak it some more.
Finally I had it all short and neat.
I was perspiring it was such a hard job.
Put on his socks and shoes and he got up and smiled
like a Cheshire cat.
“What?” said I?
“Good” was his answer.
He has a hard time making a sentence.
He kept smiling and checking his feet.
The thought came to me that his toe must have hurt him.
He never showed any discomfort but now that I think about it,
it had to be hurting.
Is there a level that with dementia/Alzheimer’s you do not feel pain?
Or is the pain there and you no longer know what it is telling
you?

I then told him he had to shave but he did not understand, I started to shave him with his electric shaver and he seemed to
like that until I got to his chin.
He quickly took the shaver and finished the job.
For a minute I thought he did not remember how to do that
but he did.

The heat went on for the first day this season and as he passed by the radiator he put his hand on it.
With a lightning fast removal of his hand he had a little cry , like a little puppy. He asked me”What is?”
I explained that it was the heat and we need it when it is cold
outside. Too much information he stepped away from the radiator like it was a bomb.
Could not grasp on to new effect on this object.

So the changes come sometimes together in one day or take weeks to come to a head.

I came home from work and he was proudly showing me a dozen chestnuts he had found in the yard.
Like a child, a smile of his is precious.
Look, what I have for you!!
Not a word being spoken but the eyes and the smile said it all.

I said: well that is a bunch, I am so proud of you.
While I said that I saw a painting of his on my kitchen wall
and I thought how often I praised him for his fabulous work.
Now I praise him for finding chestnuts.

It is not fair, or is it?
Who is to judge?